Nana Yaa Jantuah remains staff of PURC – Mgt

Management of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has denied claims by aggrieved workers suggesting that the Board is planning to reinstate the former Director of Public Affairs of the Commission, Nana Yaa Jantuah who resigned in May this year.

A statement issued by the Commission explained that its former director in charge of Public relations and external affairs’ most recent visits to the office is part of a handing over process to her successor, who is due to take over officially effective November 15, 2017.

“In July 2017, in anticipation of the impending departure of the D-PREA, a new Manager, Public Relations and External Affairs (M-PREA), was recruited. This gentleman assumed duty on September 4, 2017. As part of the Handing Over / Taking Over processes, a meeting was called with the new M-PREA and the out-going D-PREA in attendance, to discuss administrative processes that will ensure a smooth handover of duties and responsibilities from the outgoing Director to the incoming Manager.

“…Is an employee who has tendered in her resignation to be effective on November 15, 2017 and currently on leave debarred from visiting her place of work?”the statement asked.

Irate workers held protest on Thursday to resist alleged moves by the board to reinstate the former Director of Public Affairs of the Commission.

But the management in its statement condemned the protest and described the agitation by the staff as needless.

“These unruly activities by the Union led by Alhaji Jabaru culminated in locking up the head office and also other regional offices of PURC on Thursday, 7th September 2017, for no verifiable and substantive reason, except to protest the purported return to office of the Director of Public Relations and External Affairs (D-PREA), Nana Yaa Akyempim Jantuah” the statement read.

Below is the full statement by the PURC

UNRULY AND UNLAWFUL ACTIONS AT THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY COMMISSION (PURC) ON THURSDAY, 7TH SEPTEMBER 2017

The Members (Governing Board) of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) deemed it very regrettable the unruly activities, coupled with the unsubstantiated, unproven and potentially libellous pronouncements orchestrated by the Union of PURC, led by its Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Jabaru.

These unruly activities by the Union led by Alhaji Jabaru culminated in locking up the head office and also other regional offices of PURC on Thursday, 7th September 2017, for no verifiable and substantive reason, except to protest the purported return to office of the Director of Public Relations and External Affairs (D-PREA), Nana Yaa Akyempim Jantuah.

What was their justification for embarking on the needless and destructive action on Thursday, 7th September 2017, which denied hardworking citizens regulatory services and for which these workers are receiving salaries regularly? According to Alhaji Jabaru, the D-PREA was observed at the Headquarters and was alleged to have attended a meeting, at which she reportedly lobbied to be re-instated.

For purposes of background, it is necessary to recall that in May 2017, the D-PREA who has worked in the public service for a period of 26 years, tendered in her resignation to take effect on November 15, 2017, while taking the opportunity to enjoy her accumulated leave. She has been on leave since May 2017.

In July 2017, in anticipation of the impending departure of the D-PREA, a new Manager, Public Relations and External Affairs (M-PREA), was recruited. This gentleman assumed duty on September 4, 2017. As part of the Handing Over / Taking Over processes, a meeting was called with the new M-PREA and the out-going D-PREA in attendance, to discuss administrative processes that will ensure a smooth handover of duties and responsibilities from the outgoing Director to the incoming Manager.

A key concern of the Commission was the up-coming ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Conference, which Ghana will host in November and coordinated by PURC, barely two months away. This conference could impact negatively on Ghana’s reputation if

shoddily planned and poorly executed. Is this meeting reason enough for the unlawful and potentially criminal actions which disrupted work at a critical public service organization?

The questions that the public, particularly the media, must ask Alhaji Jabaru and his followers are the following:

1. Is an employee who has tendered in her resignation to be effective on November 15, 2017 and currently on leave debarred from visiting her place of work?

2. Until November 15, 2017, is the D-PREA not a bona fide staff of PURC?

3. Is the Union the employer of the D-PREA?

4. If a new Manager, PREA has been engaged, is it not prudent and conventional administrative practice to arrange a meeting between outgoing and incoming employees to facilitate a smooth and seamless hand over and take over?

5. Where should these meetings of outgoing and incoming managers take place?

6. Should the meetings be held outside the offices of PURC?

7. Should PURC not make efforts to aggregate all the institutional memory and experience that the outgoing D-PREA has before she exits?